


How to be a Wizard

by wiznearbi



Series: Httyd books - hogwarts au [1]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Books), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Contains some elements from the movies, HTTYD Books, Hiccup is a Hufflepuff, Multi, bookverse, camicazi is in gryffindor, dragons are still an important part of everyday life!, so is fishlegs, so some things are very different from the actual hp universe, this is my first time publishing a fic for this fandom, wafgdshdghsdfdgshdf
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2019-06-21 04:03:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15549183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wiznearbi/pseuds/wiznearbi
Summary: (httyd books/bookverse) Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, a small boy with a longish name, is 11 years old and about to start his very first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Join him on the first (or is it the second?) step of his journey towards becoming the greatest hero the wizarding world has ever known, the hard way.Or basically, it's How to be a Pirate, but with magic. This should go well.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm really nervous about posting this ajhsgddkfhsdfhfh please tell me if you like it and if I get anything wrong (particularly anything to do with the hp universe) don't hesitate to let me know

“HICCUP! WE’RE GOING TO BE LATE, SON, HURRY UP!”

Hiccup knew this wasn’t true. Stoick just wanted to show off his son to the other parents before their children got on the train. Now, this was not to say Hiccup was deliberately being slow, he was actually hurrying quite a bit, for he wasn’t one for disappointing his father. He checked his clock - he really, truly needed a watch - and he could see that he had about half-an-hour more. Well, technically he had an hour, but it took another half-an-hour to get to Kings Cross Station at the time Stoick preferred.

Hiccup’s trunk was packed to the brim with necessities (most of them books), including spare robes, spare clothes, Quidditch equipment (Hiccup didn’t see how this would help, he was only starting his first year and first years weren’t allowed to play Quidditch, or participate in Dragon Racing either for that matter), a list of important things for Toothless (his brand new dragon he’d found on the pre-school initiation, a requirement for all new students entering Hogwarts), a comb (not that it would be of any use with hair like his which stood up as if electrified no matter how much gel he’d used), etc, etc…

He was in typical first-year robes: fully black until given one’s house. He’d also bought a nice pointy hat and a new pair of shoes. Checking one more time that he had packed absolutely everything, he picked up his trunk, Toothless’s cage and the rest of his stuff. Looking back at his large sunlit room for the last time for what he felt would be ages, he took a deep breath.

He could do this. He repeated this to himself as he walked down the stairs. He wasn’t a wimp. He was ready…

...but was he prepared? Hiccup’s breath caught in his throat for a moment. In the previous year, during the dragon initiation ceremony (a six-month-long workshop in which young witches and wizards picked out a hunting dragon and trained it) Hiccup had gone through a rather harrowing experience that had involved a mountainous SeaDragon and a week-long coma. He’d received a lot of praise and worship from the other boys in his particular group for his bravery, as well as Toothless’s trust in him. His doctor had been hesitant about him going to Hogwarts only a short time after his experience but had eventually caved in (thanks to a lot of persuasion on Hiccup’s half).

He reached his grinning father downstairs. Stoick had made an effort to look presentable, but he still had a bit of porridge in his huge fiery beard. Woden help him.

“Need help carrying that, Son?” Stoick asked.

“No, father.”

“Sure?”

“Yes, father.”

“Alright, but if your arms are too full to show off your Horrendous Haddock muscles to the ladies then that’s your fault!”

Hiccup blushed and rolled his eyes. His father was a scary man, but so embarrassing sometimes! Hiccup heaved his trunk in front of his body to balance himself and looked around.

“We traveling by portkey, father?”

Stoick hummed. “No, son, We’ll be getting there in the car.”

Hiccup was surprised at this. Stoick wasn’t usually keen on Muggle transport. He was glad, too. He hated Portkeys. He knew Fishlegs had said he was going by Portkey, and he felt for his friend.

“Ready, son?” Stoick placed a hand as large as a saucer on his son’s bony shoulder. Hiccup nodded and stepped out the door.

 

* * *

The drive to the station was quite short and as they walked on, looking for Platform 9 ¾, the chilly September air nipped at his bare skin and he shivered, wishing he’d worn his scarf. He’d stashed Toothless away in his coat. The little green dragon knew not to stir around Muggles.

Speaking of Muggles, there seemed to be quite a lot today, although it would be difficult to tell muggle from wizard.

“Where’s Platform 10?” Stoick asked him, his beady eyes searching the area.

“Over there.” Hiccup pointed near him, where a sign read ‘Platform 10’. Platform 9 3/4 would be to his left.

They waited for the right moment before they ran through the wall to the platform. Hiccup could feel Toothless squirming inside his robes. It was uncomfortable, but the small dragon warmed his body and he was grateful.

Platform 9 ¾ was everything he remembered it to be, for he’d been here once two years ago with the rest of his family for his cousin Snotlout’s first year. Snotlout was extremely unpleasant and hated Hiccup’s guts, but the experience had been exhilarating nonetheless. Plus, Hiccup thought with a small ache, His mother had been home that day.

He shook his head, looking up and a couple of young hunting dragons flew past. Children of all ages were chattering amongst themselves and gathering their supplies. Hiccup could spot various other nervous-looking first years around him, and he felt more at ease. His father dragged him around for a while to speak (more like brag) to some of his friends: Tuffnut Senior and his family - his wife and children, one of whom was in fifth year already, and the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut Junior, starting first year with him - as well and Aunt Glugga, who’d come with her boyfriend and his child.

Hiccup latched off from the awkward conversation and scanned the crowd for the familiar moody face of Fishlegs. He was probably late. Great. A shrill whistle sounded.

“Oh, son!” Stoick boomed, clapping Hiccup’s back, “That’s your cue! Do the Horrendous Haddocks proud, boy.”

“Goodbye, Father,” Hiccup smiled, waving as he ran for the train door, “I’ll write often!”

“You’d better!” Stoick answered.


	2. The Hogwarts Express

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second chapter! So sorry it took so long, I completely lost motivation for this. I'll try and be better w updates in the future!!

The carriage shook only slightly. It was either a well-engineered train or altered by magic in some way.  Hiccup leaned against the wall of his compartment. He’d chosen an empty one because he knew Fishlegs didn’t like crowded areas. Where was Fishlegs? They were already ten minutes into the trip.

He heard the bustling of students and dragons alike outside. Suddenly, his compartment door was being opened and he looked up to meet the familiar tall, spectacled figure of his best friend. They both broke into a wide smile upon seeing each other.

“Fishlegs!” Hiccup cried, “I thought you missed the train!”

Fishlegs snorted and pushed his glasses further up his nose. “Wouldn’t have been a surprise.” he said, plopping down opposite Hiccup and setting down his trunk.

“Don’t say that.” Hiccup mumbled, but he knew Fishlegs didn’t really believe that he was of value. Orphaned at birth, he had been found washed up on the shore by some fishermen. Hiccup’s father had found out about him and - not doubting for a moment that it had been magic that kept him alive on whatever perilous journey he had endured - had taken the babe in, sending him to a small orphanage not far from Hiccup’s own house. All Fishlegs had of his birth parents was the wicker basket he had laid in and the lobster-claw necklace that had been placed around his tiny neck, both of which he kept carefully and took with him everywhere as a lucky charm.

Fishlegs hummed in reply as he rummaged through his pockets for something.

“I wonder if we’ll make any friends here.” Hiccups mused, resting this cheek in his hand and watching the blur of scenery outside the window.

“With all the fans you have after what happened last year, I’d be surprised if you don’t.” Fishlegs joked. Hiccup gave a shy smile at this.

Fans.

He didn’t know what to feel about that.

* * *

“Aha! Found it!” Fishlegs held out a long, worn-out wand for Hiccup to see. “It’s second-hand, I didn’t have enough to get my own-” Hiccup felt guilty at this, “-but it’s alright, don’t you think?”

“I know.” Hiccup agreed, “I’m just super excited to even get a wand. I can’t wait to do magic.”  Fishlegs chuckled, then glanced at him tentatively.

“Um...By the way, What are we going to do about Snotlout?” he asked, his dread evident in his tone. Hiccup’s mood dropped. He hadn’t thought about Snotlout until now. Oh Thor, he was on this train with them at the moment, did he know they were here? Was he looking for them, Dogsbreath not far behind? It was no secret that Snotlout was popular, being a teacher’s pet and a remarkable wizard and Quidditch Player. He and Fishlegs were Snotlout’s favourite people to pick on and it wasn’t just verbal either, Snotlout often got Dogsbreath to actually beat them up. Hiccup was pretty sure that tormenting them was Snotlout’s favourite pastime. It made his life miserable, especially because Snotlout was his cousin, meaning that they saw him regularly.

“I...I don’t know.” Hiccup admitted, “Let’s just hide in here for the time being, they wouldn’t tolerate abuse of any kind on the Hogwarts Express, would they?”

“I sure hope not.” Fishlegs grumbled, “Thank Thor these compartment doors aren’t see-through.”

“They have a small window.” Hiccup pointed out.

“Still.” Fishlegs crossed his arms and stared at the ceiling.

* * *

Nearing the castle, Hiccup suddenly felt a rustling inside his cloak. He winced in pain as a pointy claw dug into his skin like a splinter, and he fished a hand inside only for his pinkie to be bitten by a pair of very sharp gums. A small snout poked out to sniff its surroundings, and out of Hiccup’s chest crawled the tiniest hunting dragon in Europe. The little creature was a beautiful shade of emerald, with a pearly white underbelly and bright red wings.

“T-t-Toothless awake!” he crowed proudly in Dragonese, and upon seeing the small pile of lollies next to Fishlegs that the boys had been sharing before, flapped over in awe and began tearing apart candy boxes with his gums. A card featuring an alarmed Humongously Hotshot flitted down to the floor.

“Don’t eat too many, Toothless,” Hiccup scolded in the dragon tongue, “You’ll get sick.” Knowing Toothless, this was in vain, for the little dragon gave no sign of listening to his master’s orders. Hiccup sighed as Toothless gobbled down a Bertie-Botts jelly bean and began chasing a small chocolate frog that had hopped out of its indigo container. When the little dragon finally caught it in his talons, he poked it with a single claw before gobbling it up. Fishlegs shuddered.

“I’ve always hated chocolate frogs, nasty things.” he complained. 

“How could you hate chocolate frogs?” Hiccup asked him incredulously, “It’s just chocolate shaped like a frog.”

“Yes, but the frogs  _ jump _ . It’s like they’re alive.” 

Hiccup, though reluctant, couldn’t argue with that. “But don’t you like collecting the cards?” he asked, weakly. Fishlegs only snorted.

“What’s the use in getting the same cards of some famous people every time?” 

Hiccup felt a sharp tug on his sleeve. It was Toothless, who had now finished the sweets, climbing up his thin frame. Hiccup resisted the sting of the dragon’s claws digging into his skin as Toothless tucked himself under his jumper. Fishlegs watched curiously.

“So he just...stays in there?” he asked. Hiccup shrugged.

“He thinks it’s warm.” 

“Don’t you mind? Does it, like, itch?”

“Not really. It’s freezing cold out anyway so it helps a bit.” 

“I know.” Fishlegs shivered, “My fingers felt like they were about to fall off at the station. Horrorcow’s just asleep in my trunk. You won’t believe this, Hiccup, she’s actually vegetarian.”

“A vegetarian dragon?” Hiccup’s eyes brightened, “You’re not joking? That’s so cool!”

“Cool?  _ Cool?  _ Merlin’s beard...” 

The boys talked for a bit as the train slowed down. The trees in the forest they’d been passing weren’t whizzing past in a blur, and Hiccup could make out the light of a window. The dim light of a few stars could be seen in the darkening blue sky. Hiccup stood up - careful not to shake the sleeping body of Toothless - and peered out their compartment door. A couple of rowdy young second-year girls were chasing each other and some irresponsible student had accidentally let their Deadly Nadder fly free. One of the girls brushed against the shoulder of Tuffnut Junior, who was also strolling down the corridor with another boy whom Hiccup recognised to be Speedifist,  and he scowled.

“I wish they’d stop,” he grumbled to Speedifist. Catching Hiccup’s eye, his brow lifted, “Oh, Hi Hiccup.”

“Hiccup?” Speedifist turned to him as well and his eyes brightened, “Oh! You’re the kid who killed that Seadragon last year! That was wicked.!” Tuffnut nodded eagerly.

“Yeah, um, that’s me.” Hiccup was beginning to regret opening the door. 

“We were just up to see the conductor,” Speedifist informed him. “He says we’re nearly there. You should probably get ready or something.” He was a young black boy of about Hiccup’s height and in first year as well. Hiccup had seen him before briefly at the dragon initiation. He’d been quite nice in comparison to some of the other boys, but had a slight air of pride to him and was a bit of a nerd sometimes. Tuffnut Junior was quieter but equally as athletic. He couldn’t insult for toffee but had impeccable hand-eye coordination and a worrying infatuation with heavy medieval weaponry. Their instructor for initiation, Gobber the Belch, couldn’t stand him.

Hiccup nodded. “Thank you,” he smiled, before shutting the door and turning back to Fishlegs. 

“Who was that?” 

“Speedifist and Tuffnut Junior. They’re in first year too, we met them at initiation.” Hiccup replied, picking up his robes and pulling them over himself. He looked at the messy collection of chocolate frog boxes and pastry wrappers, unsure of what to do with them, as Fishlegs heaved a sleepy Horrorcow out of his worn trunk. 

It was good timing, for just then a voice boomed through the Hogwarts Express. “We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately.” Hiccup breathed deeply in an attempt to calm his anxiety. Fishlegs was as white as a sheet.

They blended into the crowd clamoring for the exit. Hiccup quickly scanned his surroundings for any sign of Snotlout or his goons and was relieved to discover they were not present. 

_ Must be in another compartment, that’s good, _ Hiccup thought, _Well, h_ __ere_ we go, then. _

 


	3. Arrival at Hogwarts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup experiences first-day jitters as he arrives at Hogwarts.

Now that all the first-years were alone in the chamber off the entrance hall of Hogwarts with Professor Belch, Hiccup could see everyone who'd be with him for the next 7 or so years. It was quite a large cohort, with over 40 students. Gobber the Belch looked excited at the prospect of another year at Hogwarts but scowled a bit when he laid eyes on the sheer amount of 11-year-olds he'd have to put up with.

"All right, you lot," he yelled (for this seemed to be the only volume Gobber the Belch ever spoke at), and a couple of jittery young boys jumped at the sound, "Welcome to Hogwarts, the finest school there is in Britain for young witches and wizards like you," his broad chest puffed out in proud, "We'll be celebrating the start-of-term with a banquet, which will begin shortly. But don't look too excited! You've all got to get sorted first. That's what the Sorting Ceremony is for. During your time here, your house will be like your family. Understood?" The students nodded frantically. Hiccup realised with a jolt that he probably wasn't supposed to have his dragon in here with him. He gulped, grateful for Toothless's small size.

"You'll have your classes with 'em, share rooms with 'em and eat your meals with 'em." Gobber continued, "You can also spend your free time in your house common room. The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. While you're all at Hogwarts, you can either gain house points or lose 'em based on your behaviour. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will win the House Cup." A wave of excited chatter rose up among the group of 11-year-olds. ("Gryffindor's won the house cup every time, I think! That's where I want to be." - "Don't be silly, Speedifist, it can't possibly rain inside the great hall." - "I'm telling you, it's true! It's enchanted to look like the sky. My brother told me-")

"Excuse me." A voice broke through the chatter. Hiccup turned around to see that it belonged to a short, dark-skinned girl with a long, ebony braid.

"Yes?" he asked tentatively.

"Are you really the kid who killed that Seadragon last year?" she asked him impatiently.

"Um...yeah." Hiccup replied, feeling anxious. He didn't want to come off as haughty.

"That's bloody amazing!" Her eyes shone with excitement, "I'm Astrid, Astrid de Silva. My parents are muggles, you know, so I didn't really know about any of this stuff before I got my letter. D'you reckon they explain everything to Muggleborns?"

Fishlegs, who'd been listening in, piped up, "Yeah, of course they do. There's plenty of other Muggleborns like you here."

Astrid whistled. "I hope so. Who're you?"

"Fishlegs." he replied, "And that's Hiccup."

"Neat," she said, before immediately striking up a different conversation with Ruffnut Thorston, who'd left her brother with Speedifist and a stocky blond boy.

"Chatty, isn't she?" Fishlegs remarked. Hiccup nodded.

"The Sorting Ceremony will start in a few minutes," Gobber's booming voice drowned out all other sounds, and the students straightened up, "I suggest you all fix yourself up, the whole school will have their attention on you. I'll be back for you shortly." he started towards the door but stopped to shake a finger at a group of kids who'd started giggling the moment he'd made to leave, "Wait. Quietly." Their mouths snapped shut almost immediately.

He then left the chamber and Hiccup let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Fishlegs was visibly nauseous.

"He's all about the rules, isn't he?" Tuffnut Jr scoffed, "I don't want any lessons with him."

"I don't think he's particularly keen on having you, either," Ruffnut teased. He scowled and punched her in the arm, causing her to yelp. Astrid looked on in interest.

"How do you think they sort people?" Fishlegs whispered to Hiccup, who racked his brain for any tips his family would have given him.

"Um...I think Grandfather said something about a hat?" he tried, "I'm not sure."

"A hat?"

"I told you, I don't-"

"All right!" Several people jumped at the sudden reappearance of Gobber, "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start. Get in a line, in a line," he ushered each of them into a long, straight line, "Right, now follow me."

Hiccup swallowed as he got into line behind a girl named Typhoon, with Fishlegs behind him. Gobber led them back through the hall and pushed open a pair of double doors that led to the Great Hall.

Hiccup's heart stopped.

The Great Hall was beautiful, to say the least. It was lit up by thousands of floating candles that bobbed up and down above four long, wooden tables, where the rest of the school was seated. Hiccup noticed they were separated by house. At the front, there was another, equally long table where the teachers were sitting. The other students observed them with interest, keen to see who would end up in what house. Astrid - as well as a few other possible muggleborns - took a few steps back in fright upon seeing the silvery forms of the ghosts of Hogwarts, dotted here and there among the students. Hiccup heard Speedifist yell "Oh!" and shake a gaping Tuffnut. They were both looking up.

"See! I told you. It's enchanted to look like the sky!"

Hiccup let his eyes travel upwards and he too gasped in wonder. His classmate was right; the roof of Hogwarts was a dark blue that sparkled with thousands of bright stars. It was like looking up at the night sky. You couldn't even tell there was a ceiling at all.

Gobber set down a small, four-legged stool in front of them. Placed upon it was a tattered, dirty old wizard hat. The sight of it triggered an old memory in Hiccup's mind.

" _Your mother and I were both in Gryffindor," his father chuckled, ruffling the hair of a tiny Hiccup as he lay covered in his blanket._

" _What's that?" Hiccup asked him._

" _Only the best house in Hogwarts, my boy," Stoick said, proudly._

" _Will I go there?" Hiccup asked, looking up, "When I go to Hoggywarts?"_

" _Of course you will! A respectable Hooligan has never ended up anywhere else!"_

Hiccup thought about his father's words.  _A respectable Hooligan._  What would happen if he ended up somewhere other than Gryffindor? Hiccup's stomach clenched, and he felt the sudden urge to throw up.

Before he could embarrass himself in front of the entire school, a rip near the Hat's brim opened up and it began to sing.

_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The song ended with the entire hall in applause. Hiccup, too, clapped, impressed as the Hat bowed to each table and went still again.

"You were right," Fishlegs whispered, "I guess you just put on the hat, then."

"Yeah," Hiccup agreed,  _And let it decide your fate_ , he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I finish this I'll most likely end up editing the whole thing at some point! I'm in a HP mood atm so that helps with motivation, I guess.
> 
> Astrid De Silva is a muggleborn witch born to Sinhalese parents. She's loosely inspired by the movie Astrid but I've changed quite a few things about her and her story. She's still got kind of the same personality, though. She's sporty, fierce and protective, but a tad friendlier and more talkative than the Astrid Hofferson you all know and love :) And yes, she does eventually get along very well with Camicazi, who starts Hogwarts in Hiccup's second year. 
> 
> \+ just some extra info about the twins because I've adopted them (I have the papers to prove it); They're Asian-Latinx and have an older sister named Tallon in fifth year (she's a Ravenclaw prefect) and a baby sister named Grunhilda. Ruffnut is a trans girl while Tuff Jr is cis and gay (but he hasn't figured that out yet). Tuffnut Jr is quiet but super mischevious. He likes to goof off and do stuff he's not allowed to, but Ruffnut is more responsible. She's a bit bossy but very caring and loyal, and also very ambitious. 
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy reading! :)


	4. The Sorting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup gets sorted. He isn't happy.

"Abbott, Gustav!"

A pale boy with dark hair and eyes strode over to the stool and placed the Sorting Hat on his head. The entire hall went quiet. Gustav's brow furrowed as the Hat finally cried;

"RAVENCLAW!"

The Ravenclaw table broke out into cheers and whistles as Gustav walked over and sat down. A few people got up to shake his hand as he joined them. The other tables finished clapping politely as Gobber cleared his throat for the next name.

"Aldridge, Wartihog!"

Wartihog was a pudgy, acne-ridden little boy shorter than Hiccup. He grinned goofily as he plopped onto the stool.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The first Gryffindor! The table beside Hufflepuff on the left practically exploded with cheers, and Snotlout - smug-faced and proud as ever - promptly stood up to give a confused Wartihog a high-five. Hiccup looked away in a hurry as Snotlout caught his eye and sneered, cracking his knuckles.

"Allkins, Heftythighs!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

After Heftythighs came Typhoon Barratt in Slytherin, Bearhug Banks in Hufflepuff and later, Astrid De Silva whom, to her delight, ended up in Gryffindor. She was followed by a few others - Lovethug, Molly, Dragonfist, Valka - before finally;

"Horrendous Haddock, Hiccup,"

Hiccup's hands were sweating like crazy so he wiped them on his robes and tried to assure himself that everything would be all right. There were whispers from students regarding him with suspicion and curiosity as he went over to the stool, which seemed rather frightening now to him. Professor Belch, ignorant to Hiccup's nervous state, placed the hat on his head as gently as possible (which for Gobber, meant that he jammed it on). It fell over his head, shielding him from the stares of everyone around him, as the hat began to speak.

"Well, well, well...another Hiccup. The latest of three," it said in a voice soft and ancient that reminded him of his grandfather, Old Wrinkly, "I notice you have a dragon hidden in your robes."

Hiccup inhaled sharply. How did it know?

"Oh, I can hear everything you think, boy, but do not be alarmed. I'm here to sort, not to snitch. Now, let's see.."

Hiccup's hands clenched around the seat of the stool.

"Oh! Well, isn't this interesting?"

What was interesting?

"You, young man. You are interesting. You have an equal chance of getting into each house. Cunning, ambitious...you'd do well in Slytherin. And your intelligence! Your wit! Ravenclaw would be lucky to have a boy with a mind like yours. Oh! And bravery, loyalty...qualities of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff in there. This is more difficult than I thought it would be."

Unbeknownst to Hiccup as the hat continued to mutter, the Hall was beginning to become impatient. It had been a full five minutes since Hiccup sat down. A short time it may seem, but it was unusually long for a single sorting. This meant Hiccup was a hatstall.

"Well, now isn't that sweet. Ah! Yes, yes I know. I know where you belong, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. You would prosper in any house, but there can only be one. I suppose it better be…"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Hiccup froze. Thoughts of dread and hopelessness swirled around his head like it was a cauldron, growing louder and louder until they were the only things he could hear.

"No, no, no…" he kept muttering, still fixed in his seat even as an exasperated Gobber the belch lifted the now-quiet hat from his head.

"Oi, Hiccup," he told him sternly, "Are you deaf? Off to the Hufflepuff table, now."

Shakily, Hiccup rose from his seat. His anxiety had settled to make way for a feeling so empty he'd rather go back to the way it was before. Hogwarts was supposed to make everything right, Hogwarts was supposed to prove to his ancestors that he was just as brave as them despite being a Hiccup. He knew he must have done something by killing that Seadragon last year and  _almost dying_ , but it was easy for his father to forget things if they weren't consistent.

_Snotlout is a Gryffindor._

Yes, Snotlout, the family's golden boy. He was the ideal heir, nothing short of perfect. Hiccup was just, well, Hiccup.

Slowly, he sat down at the Hufflepuff table, which immediately perked up at his arrival although some of them frowned at him. Whether this was due to the fact that he was related to a bully like Snotlout or the clear distaste of getting into Hufflepuff, Hiccup wasn't sure, but he didn't care either way. All he could think about now was his father and how he was going to react to the news that his son was not, in fact, a brave Gryffindor but in the most overlooked house in Hogwarts.

As Hiccup stressed out in his seat, murmuring a few 'thank you's to some older students who congratulated him, a few more people were called out and sorted.

Then, "No-Name, Fishlegs!"

A wave of murmurs rose up at the shout of Fishlegs's 'surname'. "No-name, did he say?" the student next to Hiccup whispered to the person beside him, who shrugged. Hiccup prickled at their reaction to his best friend's name. Fishlegs couldn't help what happened to him as a baby, who were they to judge?

Poor Fishlegs was shaking, it was obvious even from afar. His mocha skin had paled a few shades and he'd begun itching himself as he slowly made his way to the seat, Gobber waiting impatiently.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Hiccup clapped alongside his new house-mates, happier now that he knew he wasn't without his best friend.

Fishlegs smiled - although it was more like a grimace - at Hiccup as he sat down on his left side. "Well, that wasn't unexpected. You, though, you were a hatstall."

Hiccup shrugged awkwardly, "Yeah, I s'pose."

"He's right!" an older student piped up, alarming the two boys. The mousy-brown haired girl sitting across from them chuckled, "Sorry. I'm Doris, one of your prefects this year. You can come to me if you need anything," Sure enough, a shiny prefect's badge glinted from her chest, "So, a hatstall, eh? Longest one in centuries, I bet!"

As usual, Hiccup felt awkward at the sudden attention. Although he guessed it wasn't too bad, getting to know your prefect's early. "Maybe, there must've been people longer than me, though."

"You never know!" Doris said enthusiastically, "Read Hogwarts: a History, that might have something."

"Yeah." As another first-year joined their table, he turned his attention back to the Sorting.

"Thorston, Ruffnut!" The hat had barely touched the sullen girl's head before it yelled "SLYTHERIN!" Hiccup blinked. It seemed he wouldn't be the only one disappointing his parents, after all.

"Thorston, Tuffnut!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Tuffnut Jr bounded up to join them, but not before sending a sorrowful glance at his sister's way.

"Valencia, Tori!"

"RAVENCLAW"

"Yver, Speedifist!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Varangot, Clueless!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Bloody hell,  _he_  got into Gryffindor?" Fishlegs groaned. Hiccup had to agree. Clueless was, well, clueless. How could the Sorting Hat put  _him_  in Gryffindor?

Hiccup let his hand brush over where Toothless was asleep. He hoped the dragon would be too tired to fly on the first day, he needed an excuse not to send a letter to his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like Hufflepuff is the right house for Hiccup, honestly. You can't change my mind. 
> 
> (If you'd like to know, Camicazi ends up in Gryffindor)
> 
> I did have trouble with the surnames. I'll probably end up editing those. Please tell me if I do anything culturally insensitive!


	5. A Hoggy Warty Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup decides to just enjoy the banquet.

Hiccup had learned a few things that night. Once he’d somewhat gotten over the shock of getting into Hufflepuff, he had tried to get to know the people at his table. He’d met the Fat Friar, a chubby ghost who’d been delighted that Hiccup had gotten into his house. There had also been some talk about families among the first years (a conversation Fishlegs had been quiet all throughout). Bearhug - a stocky blond who came off as intimidating but was really just a nervous wreck - gloomily told them about how his father had threatened to disown him if he didn’t get into Gryffindor, and Hiccup had felt for him. Although Stoick had never explicitly stated Hiccup _had_ to get into Gryffindor, he’d implied it more that enough. A kind girl named Talia assured Bearhug that Hufflepuff was just as good and that his father should “shove off”.

“Yeah, he probably didn’t mean it, mate,” Speedifist told him awkwardly as Bearhug flushed at Talia’s words, “My dad was kind of the same, but he was just joking. I mean, my older sibling’s in Ravenclaw and he thinks they’re great.”

“I s’pose…” Bearhug replied, although he didn’t look very convinced.

“Mine too.” Hiccup blurted out. Fishlegs sent him a weird look and he regretted butting in as their eyes turned to him.

“Really?” Tuffnut Jr asked, “You know, I could’ve sworn you’d have ended up in Gryffindor.”

“Well, I didn’t, did I?” Hiccup snapped. Tuffnut was a little taken back, but he shrugged.

“Well, I mean, my twin sister ended up in Slytherin. Papa’s gonna have a fit about that, I reckon, but I doubt she’ll care. Tallon, that’s my oldest sister, she’s in Ravenclaw. She’s a prefect, you see, so my parents love her. Grunhilda’s still only nine, though.” Hiccup blinked. He’d thought Tuffnut was a quiet boy. He’d guessed wrong, then.

“How many sisters do you have?” Fishlegs asked incredulously.

“Just those three.” Tuffnut replied and he shoved a whole boiled potato into his mouth, “These are good.”

“Do you think they magic them up?” Talia asked, excited. She was a tall girl with wide, twinkling eyes and bronze skin, and she wore a pretty orange headscarf, “All the food, I mean?”

“Isn’t that illegal?” Hiccup asked.

“Illegal? Really?”

“Yeah, I read about it.”

“That sucks,” she said, somewhat dejected.

“Yeah, I guess.”

As Talia turned back to her food, Hiccup looked over at the teachers. There was the headmaster at the center of the table, a thin, frail stick of a man with a long silvery beard and tired but twinkling old eyes. Most knew him as Vraud Jorgenson, but Hiccup knew him better as Old Wrinkly, his grandfather. The man was just about the only family member who really believed in Hiccup as a person, and Hiccup liked being around him. He wasn’t exactly sure most people really knew the headmaster was his grandfather, and he didn’t really think he wanted them to.

The adults beside him on the high table were far younger. In fact, to his right was a teacher so youthful that Hiccup could have sworn was he in his teens if it weren’t for the smart, black mustache he was supporting. He seemed pleasant too, for he was talking to Professor Gobber - who’d gone and sat down next to the Headmaster as the feast began - with a charming smile, but Hiccup’s eyes widened as the man raised his knife to cut his food.

Instead of a hand, he had the knife screwed onto a metal piece on his wrist.

“Hey,” he whispered to Fishlegs, “Who’s that?”

“Who’s who?” Fishlegs asked, his voice a little muffled. He still had steak in his mouth.

“The teacher talking to Gobber.”

“Oh! He’s so young. I dunno.”

Hiccup still wanted to know who it was, but he decided to leave it for now. He stared at the remains of his meal. What was he supposed to do with it? He craned his neck to see what everyone else was doing. Most others were also finished, and they seemed to just be sitting there and talking. He suddenly remembered Toothless. Cursing under his breath, he looked around for something that could hold food without spilling or getting too dirty. In the end, he just decided to use his napkin.

Discreetly, he piled some solid, dry food onto his plate, keeping an eye on Doris in particular. She turned around to yell something to one of her Gryffindor friends and Hiccup, quick as lightning, placed the food onto the napkin on his lap. He hastily tied it up into a makeshift bag and hit it in the wand pocket of his robes. He’d give it to Toothless when he went to bed.

It didn’t take long for everyone to eat their fill, and soon the remains all faded from the plates, leaving them shiny and golden as if they’d just been washed. Moments later, their place on the table was replaced by puddings of all kind. Hiccup had never seen this many desserts in his life and he’d grown up around _Snotlout._

There were cupcakes, eclairs, mince pies, apple pies, treacle tarts, pumpkin pasties, flan, ice-creams of every flavour. There was even a large chocolate cake. He felt a little sick looking at all of them.

“Oh, _why’d_ I have to eat so much _dinner_?” Fishlegs moaned.

“I know. I want to try all of these.” Hiccup agreed sadly.

“It’s our first Hogwarts feast. Treat yourselves!” Talia said, raising a spoonful of flan to her mouth. Hiccup and Fishlegs looked at each other, shrugged, and each grabbed a piece of the chocolate cake that was quickly disappearing.

Eventually, the puddings too disappeared. Old Wrinkly - for there was no way Hiccup was calling him _Professor Jorgenson_ \- stood up once more, silencing everyone. He smiled.

“Now that we are all filled up and ready for our first term, I have a few notices to give you; I’d like to give a warm introduction to our new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Mr. Alvin Ogglebert. I do hope you enjoy your time here,” The handsome teacher with the prosthetic stood up and smiled at them all before sitting down again.

“Now to establish some rules. First years, I must let you know that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. We also have a strict rule of no magic in the corridors, one our school caretaker, Mr. Redbeard, has kindly asked me to remind some of our older students of as well,” his eyes flickered over to the Gryffindor table, “Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in trying out for their house teams should contact Madam Rugged, their year-level coordinator or their Head of House. That should be all.

“Now!” he cried, more cheerfully, “Time for us to sing our school song!”

With a flick of his wand, a golden ribbon shot out. Hiccup gaped as it twirled high above them before twisting itself into shiny words.

“Everyone sing at their favourite tune!” Old Wrinkly smiled, “Without further ado…”

Everyone’s voice rose up, each singing the verses in their own way. It was rather chaotic.

_‘Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please,_

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they’re bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us things worth knowing,_

_Bring back what we’ve forgot,_

_Just do your best, we’ll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot.’_

Hiccup grimaced as they all finished at a different time. His eyes flitted over to the rest of his classmates, who looked stuck between amusement and confusion. Old Wrinkly grinned widely as the last student finally ran out of breath to carry their last note even further.

“That was truly magical, I hope you all agree,” the old headmaster said as the verses disappeared, “Time for bed now, off you go!”

* * *

Hiccup had been a little less grumpy about sleep when Doris told them she’d be leading them to the Hufflepuff common room, which was apparently near the kitchens. A part of him worried what this would mean with a disobedient and greedy dragon like Toothless, but he dismissed the thought out of anger. Why wasn’t he allowed to feel good about things without thinking about other people? He could figure all the bad stuff out in the morning. He was sickeningly full from dinner and both he and Fishlegs were in dire need of a good night’s sleep.

On their way to the common room, they passed a large still-life painting of fruit, which Doris explained led to the kitchens, although she didn’t tell them how. They eventually stopped in front of a large stack of weirdly large barrels. Doris showed them how to get inside by tapping the correct barrel in the correct rhythm.

“If you tap this one here,” she instructed, pointing at the second barrel from the bottom, “in the rhythm of ‘Helga Hufflepuff’, it’ll let you in.”

“What if you do it wrong?” a thin, soft-voiced girl named Valka asked her.

“Oh, you don’t want to do that,” she shuddered, “Unless you want to get drenched in vinegar.” They must have appeared horrified because she looked a bit guilty.

“It’s okay, though!” she assured them, “It’s really very easy. Here.”

She tapped the barrel five times, slowly, “Hel-ga Huff-le-puff. There you go.” The lid opened to reveal a round, earthy pathway large enough to fit a person.

“Don’t worry about getting dirty! That’s really just there for show. Now, you’ve got to crawl up a little bit - there’s plenty of room - and you should get to a little red trapdoor-like thing. Open that and you’ll get inside the common room. Follow me.”

She crouched down and disappeared inside. The first-years looked at each other, uncertain, before Valka slowly went after her, followed by Molly, then Tuffnut. One by one, they all went in on their hands and knees. Hiccup went third-to-last and was pleasantly surprised when he realised that the space was larger than he’d thought.

He emerged through a round, wooden door behind Bearhug, and ‘oohed’ with everyone else. The Hufflepuff common room was like a large den, with a low ceiling and decorated in the cheerful colours of yellow and orange and black. There were round tables set up in several places as well as a built-in bookshelf that held some board games on its lowest rack. The room was also covered in various plants. Some dangled from the roof as others were placed on furniture and along the walls.

“This isn’t bad, you know,” Fishlegs leaned over and whispered. Hiccup nodded. It really was quite cozy.

“Lovely, isn’t it?” Doris asked them happily, “I’m never tired of it. Over there we have a portrait of our founder, Helga Hufflepuff. Can you see?”

“She’s _moving!_ ” Molly gasped. Doris nodded with a small smile.

“That she is.” she said, “Muggleborn, are you? So am I. I understand how you’re feeling. You’ll get used to all this, you know. Don’t worry.”

Molly went pink and looked down at her feet. “Thanks.”

Doris gave them a moment to look around before clearing her throat. “Now,” she said, “It’s getting late and I bet you’re all tired. Through those doors are your dormitories. Girls in there,” She pointed to the door on the right, “And boys through the other one. I can’t go in there with you boys, unfortunately, but once you’re inside it should be easy to find the first-year’s dorm. The door should be open and your trunks should be inside. Good luck and Good night. Let’s go, ladies.”

Sure enough, the boys had no trouble finding their dorms. Their dragons had all been taken to their own area and the room was to themselves. Fishlegs didn’t even bother changing as he was asleep and snoring as soon as the hangers were shut. Hiccup managed to put on pyjamas and hide a still-sleeping Toothless under his bed before going out the moment his head hit the pillow, nice and warm in his patchwork quilt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've also decided to adopt Speedifist. From the little we get about him from the books and the series website, I found his character really interesting and thought he had huge potential. I know he wasn't a particularly relevant character in the original series, but I do hope you don't mind me indulging myself and developing him a bit more :,). The sibling he mentions is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, their name is Hartfull and they're in Ravenclaw, obviously. They're very affectionate and they love annoying their younger brother. 
> 
> Happy reading! Constructive criticism is always welcome. Please tell me if I'm being culturally insensitive/representing someone in a harmful way.


	6. First Full Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup has a nice day of lessons, until he encounters Snotlout.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! I took a little longer with this update.

Hiccup arose much earlier than the others the next morning. Toothless had woken up overnight and clawed his master awake. This annoyed Hiccup, who’d already been dreading the next day. He didn’t want a lack of sleep to add to his burdens. 

“What is it, Toothless?” he croaked in Dragonese, rubbing his eyes as he sat up. He felt his dragon crawl under his pyjama top and poke his head out from the collar, making Hiccup feel a bit uncomfortable.

“F-f-feed Toothless!” he demanded, “Can smell H-Hiccup’s been eating, f-f-forgotten about p-poor Toothless! T-t-tired!” he nipped his master’s chin and Hiccup had to restrain himself from crying out. It woke him up a bit, at least.

“Keep your voice down! He scolded in a furious whisper. Scrambling out from under his covers, he leaned over the side of his bed and pulled out his trunk from under it. Toothless, meanwhile, rolled around in Hiccup’s blanket, whining. 

To Hiccup’s relief, he didn’t have to rummage around for long to find the napkin he’d hidden food in. He took it out and held it at arm’s length. Toothless eyed it greedily.

“W-what’s that?” he asked. Hiccup laid it on the covers and carefully untied the knot to reveal two slightly soggy pumpkin pasties and a mint humbug. Toothless sniffed at it before daintily nibbling at the edge of one of the pasties. Liking the taste, he practically inhaled the rest as Hiccup watched, his own stomach mourning the loss of the food, as unappealing as it was. 

He wondered what classes he’d have as light slowly flooded the room and the other boys woke up one-by-one.

“You awake, Hiccup?” he heard Fishlegs ask him drowsily. He instructed Toothless to hide before opening the curtains. Fishlegs was sitting on his bed cross-legged, with his back to their other three dorm-mates.

“Yeah, have been since 5 am.” Hiccup replied. Realising that his trunk was still open, he quickly hid it from the view of the others after pulling out a fresh pair of robes and a school shirt to change into. His pants were folded a bit more neatly than the robes, so they weren’t as ruffled. 

‘’What made you wake up at 5?” Fishlegs asked him. His glasses sat beside his lobster claw necklace on the dresser, and his curly mop of hair was even more of a mess than usual. 

Hiccup snuck a glance at the others - who were chattering amongst themselves as they got ready - and beckoned Fishlegs closer. “Toothless woke me up.”

His best friend seemed confused at first. “Why-Oh! You kept him when we got off the Express!” Hiccup nodded. Fishlegs sighed before dragging himself closer to his dresser and pushing his glasses onto his nose. He heaved out his battered trunk and opened it to find his own robes, neatly folded under a bag of medication. 

“You’d better take him up to the Dragons’ Tower as soon as you can,” he told Hiccup as he unbuttoned his top from last night. Hiccup looked regretfully at Toothless, who was now gnawing on his bedspread. 

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“Fishlegs! Hiccup! You guys are up too?” Speedifist asked them brightly. Fishlegs - who’d been in the middle of fastening the necklace around his neck - jumped at the sound of his voice. 

Hiccup leaned over to meet their eyes. “Yeah.”

“Have been for a bit now,” Fishlegs grumbled, struggling to untangle a stray curl from the chain around his neck. Speedifist stood up and shrugged on his own robes, which now had yellow lining where it had once been grey. His dark coils had been tied back into a small ponytail. 

“I can’t wait to start classes. I’ve never done magic before,” he said. Tuffnut Jr, who’d taken the bed next to him, bent down to tie his shoelaces. 

“I dunno. It’s weird to see people so amazed by it.” 

“ _ You’re _ a half-blood, you’ve grown up around it.” Speedifist huffed. 

“So are you!” Tuffnut said, offended. 

“Yeah, well, one of my parents was all Muggle. Yours are both magical.”

_ “Still..” _

Hiccup tuned them out as they began to argue. 

Fishlegs rolled his eyes. “This is going to be  _ such fun. _ ” he said.

* * *

To Hiccup’s relief, the rest of the day didn't go too bad at all. After quickly dropping a disgruntled Toothless off at the Dragon’s Tower, they had a hearty breakfast back at the Great Hall. As for classrooms, Doris was more than happy to give them the locations.

“Most teachers don't expect you to find all your classes easily in the first two weeks, don't worry.” she assured them, “In my first year, I got lost about five times on my way to Transfiguration. It's those blasted stairs.”

He and Fishlegs shared most of the same classes, so they would walk together. If not, Hiccup would just follow some of his other classmates, who were more than happy to help him.

First up, he had double Potions with the slow but kind Professor Stump, who had a beard longer than his arms and most likely wore fake teeth. Hiccup suspected the man was over the age of 100. They were joined by the Gryffindor first years, and Astrid must have recognised them because she waved at them merrily. Next was Transfiguration with the Slytherins, taught by Professor Rita Rugged. 

“I’d prefer if you were to call be Professor Rita,” she huffed, when Ruffnut asked if she could go to the bathroom, “But yes, you can go. Be quick!” 

He found out in third period - also with the Slytherins - that Professor Ogglebert was as exeptional at teaching as he was self-grooming. Charming and attractive, he won the whole class over in one lesson. Everyone except for Fishlegs, that was. 

“It’s just something about him,” Fishlegs explained to Hiccup as they followed the others up to the Great Hall for lunch, “I don’t trust him. You should never trust someone that...charming.” he wrinkled his nose. Hiccup disagreed. 

“It’s just our first lesson with him, you’ll warm up to him soon enough.” 

Fishlegs hummed in response and Hiccup felt as if there was something he was keeping from him. He didn’t press, his friend would tell him in time, surely. 

They sat down at their usual spot on the Hufflepuff table - between Talia and Bearhug. As Hiccup lifted a forkful of pasta to his mouth, he paused to say, “Today hasn’t been so bad, don’t you think?” 

“Oi, cousin!”

He’d spoken too soon. 

He and Fishlegs swivelled around, their mood dropping quicker than Hiccup’s fork. Snotlout sauntered up to their table, flanked by his second-in-hand Dogsbreath the Duhbrain (or at least that was what Hiccup called him). He wore a nasty smirk on his face. Hiccup shrank down, noticing the sudden quiet around him as his housemates ceased their chatter in curiosity. 

“So...Hufflepuff, eh?” Snotface Snotlout asked with fake cheer, “Well done, Useless, always knew it was the perfect place for you. Has your dear father heard yet?”

Hiccup shook his head. 

“Such a shame. Haven’t had the time, have you? Not a problem, I’ll write to Uncle. I bet he’ll be thrilled to hear the news.”

“It’s not your news to deliver, Snotlout.” Fishlegs snapped. 

“Shut it, runt,” he snapped, his voice low and dangerous. He didn’t even spare Fishlegs a glace. Suddenly, Doris - who had apparently heard the word ‘runt’ - spoke up. 

“What are you doing at the Hufflepuff table, no one gave you the right to bully them!” she cried. 

Snotlout looked as if he were about to retort, but upon seeing the glares from the rest of the Hufflepuffs he merely rolled his eyes and shoved his hands in the pockets of his robes.

“Have a nice day,  _ Hiccup _ ,” he spat, before leaving them. 

“Unpleasant cousin you’ve got there,” Talia whispered when Snotlout was out of earshot, “Is he usually like that?”

“You’ve no idea.” Hiccup said gloomily. He pushed his food away from him, his appetite lost. 

So much for a good day. 

 


	7. Hiccup sends a letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup finally writes to Stoick, and Stoick writes back.

_ Dear Father, _

_ Sorry for not writing to you until now. I’ve been very busy with work and settling in. Hogwarts is just as wonderful as you told me it would be.  _

_ I haven’t had a chance to talk to O̶l̶d̶ ̶W̶r̶i̶n̶k̶l̶y̶ Grandfather yet. He’s probably very busy with managing the school, so I doubt he has the time to talk to me. I haven’t talked to Snotlout yet, either.  _

_ I̶’̶m̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶f̶u̶n̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶H̶u̶f̶f̶ _

_ ̶I̶ ̶g̶o̶t̶ ̶s̶o̶r̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ _

_ ̶M̶y̶ ̶h̶o̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶i̶s̶ _

_ I thought I should also let you know that I got into Hufflepuff. I think it was because The Sorting hat told me I would be great for any house so they put me there. The kids in my dorm are very cool people. Your friend Tuffnut’s son is here too, and so is Fishlegs. I’ve been approached by some people who heard of what happened last year and I handled them quite well. I t̶h̶i̶n̶k̶ ̶I̶ ̶m̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶b̶e̶  am making some friends. My classmates and I get along well. _

_ Toothless has been behaving so far, thanks to your advice I think.  _

_ I promise I’ll do our family proud. _

_ Your son, _

_ Hiccup _

* * *

 

For the most part, Hiccup and Fishlegs steered clear from Snotlout and any of his friends. It wasn’t hard to tell who they were; the biggest, meanest-looking older Gryffindors, who constantly sent him and other younger students condescending sneers and occasional taunts. No-one really tried to hurt them, though, so that was all right.

Hiccup got through his classes with the thought of his father lingering in his mind. What if his father didn’t even bother to write back, what if he just sent him a Howler and the whole Great Hall would hear Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III being stripped of his family name? Hiccup’s mind cooked up images of Stoick telling his friends just how useless his son really was, and how his wonderful nephew Snotlout had been made the Hooligan heir instead. 

“Haddock! Pass on the trimmer,” Professor Lopez - a wiry young witch with a keen eye and sharp tongue - snapped at him, “People are waiting.”

Hiccup handed the tool to Ruffnut with an apologetic smile that went ignored by the taller girl.  It was Friday of their first week, and their last class was Herbology. They were starting off with simple, docile plants today, and trimming their leaves. Not particularly fun, but much better than Magical History. 

Fishlegs glanced up at Hiccup from his own work. His nose was red, and he sniffed. Fishlegs was allergic to a concerning number of things, this plant apparently being one of them. 

“You all right, Hiccup?” he asked. Hiccup shrugged.

“Maybe. I just told him, you know.”

“Told who...Wait, your dad? You wrote to him?”

“Yeah. Hopefully he doesn’t freak out and sent me a Howler.”

Fishlegs grimaced, “Well, you had to tell him sooner or later. It’s not like you could avoid it forever.”

“I know.” 

“I hope you’re all concentrating,” Lopez broke their conversation in a singsong voice, “Time’s almost up.”

“I’ll tell you what I said at dinner,” Hiccup whispered to Fishlegs, who nodded and gave him a thumbs up.

“You’ll be all right.” he mouthed. 

Stoick’s response arrived that Sunday, much sooner than expected. The day started off as normally as any other, but with the excited buzz of their first weekend. Many of them, including Hiccup, slept in until noon and missed breakfast, so Tuffnut Junior - being the only one brave and stupid enough to risk losing points on their first week - took the liberty of raiding the kitchen to get them all some food.

Bearcub eyed the muffin Tuffnut Jr held in his outstretched palm warily.

“Don’t  _ worry _ ,” Tuffnut pressed, “If we lose points, Slytherin will too!”

Bearcub’s eyes shot up to meet the other boy’s ones, confused. “Why?”

“My sister helped. Said she was charismatic enough to convince the house elves to give us something.” 

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, it isn't.”

Tuffnut had given up then, and handed the muffin a surprised Hiccup instead, “Here, you have it. Sorry, Bearcub.” 

Bearcub huffed and scratched the small scar on his chin. “Whatever. I’m gonna go see Talia.”

He swept past Speedifist, who was leaning on his bedpost with his brawny arms crossed over his chest, and disappeared out the door. Speedifist raised an eyebrow.

“Going to go see Talia, did he say?”

“I didn’t even know they were friends,” Tuffnut said thoughtfully, his slanted eyes narrowing. He and Speedifist shared a look and promptly left the room, most likely in search of Bearcub. 

That left Hiccup and Fishlegs alone. Hiccup glanced at the muffin in his hand, then at the rest of the food left in a small pile on the bed. 

“We didn’t plan anything for today, did we? Do you want to go to the Lake and eat?”

Fishlegs shrugged. “Yeah, sure. Nothing better to do on a Sunday, is there?”

“We could study in the-”

“No, let’s go to the Lake.” Fishlegs interrupted him hurriedly, “Come on, while the food’s still fresh.” He grabbed the food on the bed as well as his robe from where he’d hung it on the bed frame, and he was out the door before Hiccup could let him know he’d forgotten to brush his hair. 

Hiccup grinned and followed him out, “All right.”

* * *

 

_ Dear Hiccup, _

_ Gobber has been writing to me and tells me you are doing well in classes, but you need to be a little less of a know-it-all and give other people a chance. I say he must of gotten hit on the head, does’nt he know Haddock’s take what’s theirs?  _

_ As for your house, I am sorry to say I am very dissapointed in you Hiccup. I am determined to give that sorting hat a piece of my mind. But rules are rules no matter how stupid they are. Show those hufflepuffs your true spirit, boy. Remember, only the strong can belong.  _

_ Make me proud, son. _

_ From _

_ Your father, Stoick _

_ P.S. Your mother sent a letter  ̶r̶e̶s̶c̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶r̶e̶e̶s̶e̶n̶t̶l̶y̶  a short while ago. She will unfortunatly not be coming home this year, not even for the holidays. _

* * *

 

Hiccup swallowed the last of his muffin, an oily wrapper in one hand and his father’s letter in the other. Toothless was nearby, gnawing on the root of the oak tree they were sitting under.

“You okay?” Fishlegs asked softly from beside him, as Hiccup folded the parchment and pushed it back into the envelope, “Hiccup?”

“I’m…” he stopped himself before saying ‘fine’, and instead settled for, “I’ll be all right.” 

His heart felt like a sudden weight in his chest. He barely registered Fishlegs’s hand slowly reaching out and picking up the yellowed envelope. For a moment, the only noise around them came from the oblivious Toothless, and the distant cries of other children messing about not far off.

He heard the rustling of paper as Fishlegs gently placed the envelope back down. 

“He seems okay with it. A little confused, but…”

Hiccup shook his head. “It’s not that. Well, not fully. When my mother goes travelling, we never know where or why. She just gets up and leaves, and we don’t see her for another three years or so.” 

He fiddled with a small pebble that had found its way between his fingers. Feeling a sudden burst of anger, he stood up abruptly. In one aggressive motion, Hiccup’s arm swung and he let go of the stone, which sailed through the air and made a small splash in the water. His rage was gone as soon as had come, and he watched the ripples emerge one-by-one from the disturbance. 

Fishlegs’s eyebrows were furrowed as he observed him. Toothless was also quiet now, and staring at his master with a strange look. The tiny dragon carefully took a chocolate bar between his claws and flapped over to where Hiccup was standing alone. Slowly, as if fighting with himself, the dragon offered it to him. Fishlegs quickly looked away.

Hiccup blinked. “T-thank you, Toothless,” he managed, taking the bar. The little green dragon huffed and crawled down Hiccup’s thin frame and into his robe pocket. 

Feeling a little lighter, Hiccup tore the cellophane wrapping of the candy bar and sat back down to eat. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you all go off on me about the grammatical errors in the letters, I was trying to write in character. Hopefully Hiccup’s letter sounds like an eleven-year-old wrote it.


	8. Alvin's Tale

“Winter,” Fishlegs said through gritted teeth, wrapping his scarf more firmly around him, “wasn’t supposed to be here for another week.”

Hiccup nodded miserably as he rubbed his hands together. Even with mittens on, his fingers felt near frozen. It was a shame they still had classes, all he wanted to do right now was run up to his dorm, cover himself in his blankets and read. 

They turned the corner and joined the throng of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs headed towards the DADA room. Hiccup noticed some students shivering in their normal robes, and felt a stab of pity. He looked away. 

They approached the open door. Molly stood fidgeting at the entrance, looking at everyone with an uncertain expression on her pale, freckled face. “Are we allowed inside?” she asked Valka as they caught up. 

“Oh! Do come in, all of you!” came Professor Ogglebert’s voice. Valka looked at Molly pointedly as they all began to clamour inside the classroom. Their teacher emerged from a little storeroom in the back, rubbing his hook on a tattered cloth. He wore sleek, modern robes that shone with the light of a blue flame which sat bottled on a table nearby. 

“Yes, to your desks now, go,” He adjusted his moustache, “Alright! Do you remember what we learnt last week?”

To no one’s surprise, Hiccup’s hand shot up in the air. Professor Ogglebert smiled knowingly at him.

“Hiccup Haddock,” he said, “You seem eager, tell us.”

“Vampires, sir,” Hiccup grinned, “We learnt about their history with Wizarding society. Oh! Chapter seven, I think.”

For the past two weeks, between responding to Stoick’s countless letters, Hiccup had been burying his nose in his textbooks in his free time. This aggravated poor Fishlegs, who would much rather hang out at the Lake and talk with his friend. 

“Very good!” Alvin stepped in front of his desk and surveyed the class, “Well, we’ll be moving on from that today, but I still expect homework to be returned  _ complete _ . I’ll be checking that towards the end. This lesson, I have something quite exciting to tell you about.” His eyes shone and an expression Hiccup could not read overcame his face. 

Murmurs rose up around him. Hiccup turned to Fishlegs, hoping to meet his eyes with a shared glance of anticipation, but his bespectacled friend’s jaw was set tightly and his eyes narrowed in distrust.

“Fishlegs?” Hiccup whispered, leaning towards him. At the sound of his voice, Fishlegs seemed to snap out of his thoughts. He blinked and tilted his head. 

“What?”

“Nothing.” Hiccup bit his lip and returned his gaze to Professor Ogglebert, who was now furiously (yet elegantly) scribbling something on the board in chalk. 

“And what is this exciting thing, you ask?” he finished the title with a flourish and swivelled around to meet the curious gazes of his students. He stepped to the side and their eyes were directed to the word he’d written. 

“Legends?” Astrid DeSilva blurted out. She blushed and looked down as everyone’s eyes flitted to her. Professor Ogglebert’s smiled twitched a bit, but remained plastered on his face. 

“Indeed, Miss DeSilva,” he said calmly, “Legends. Can someone tell me what a legend is, although I suspect you all already know? Yes, Hiccup.” 

“A popular story thought by many to be true, but-” Hiccup racked his brain, “-it isn’t?”

“Close enough!” Professor Ogglebert shrugged, and Hiccup’s face fell, “You got the first part spot on. The thing is, though, just because legends aren’t authenticated, it does  _ not _ mean they can’t be true.”

“For example,” he paused for a second, deep in thought, “I’m sure all the...muggleborns can attest to this. Us witches and wizards - and many other things about our world - were mere myths and legends to you until the last year, correct?” He received nods from many of the muggleborns in the room, “And there, that’s what I mean. Legends are hard to prove true, but it’s possible. And I...I hope the one I am soon to tell you about is one you’ll all find as interesting as I do.” Hiccup noticed that at that moment, his teacher moved his hook behind his back and out of their line of sight. 

“I’m going to tell you all a little story. It’s a very gory little anecdote, so I wouldn’t say it’s for the faint-hearted, but I’d love you all to listen just the same,” He brought his hook out and sat down on his desk, “Earlier this year, before I had the fortune of coming to Hogwarts, I was just a poor but honest farmer earning my keep on a little island off the coast of Scotland. Doing muggle work really put those with the misfortune of being born without magic in a quite sympathetic light, but that’s unimportant. Anyway, eleven years I worked that gruelling job - many of you must not have been born when I began - and I was living in utter misery before I came across the most peculiar thing.”

His eyes were lost for just a moment, as if he had forgotten he was in a classroom, “It was a casket, and when I opened it I found no body, but I knew - I  _ knew _ \- it belonged to a wizard.” 

“However did you find that out, sir?” Astrid breathed, engrossed in his story as many others were. 

Astrid’s voice broke the man out of his trance, and he blinked at her. “I-well...The inside had been enlarged with Engorgio,” he stuttered, before clearing his throat to continue, “I was just about to venture inside when…” he paused, and looked up at them, “Oh dear, what I am about to tell you may be a bit much for you to stomach, but that casket must have been cursed. Its lid snapped shut, cutting off my hand in the process.” The children hissed as he held up his hook for them all to see. It glinted in the rays of the evening sun. Hiccup clenched his fist just to make sure his right hand was still there. 

“Don’t worry, it feels perfectly fine now, if not a little itchy,” Professor Ogglebert chuckled, “The  _ next _ time I opened that chest,” he ignored the surprised gasps at this, “I made sure to rid it of any unpleasant curses. Inside the chest that  _ I lost my right hand for _ , I found no treasure, nothing of use or value, nothing but…” He paused for what appeared to be dramatic effect, and from the top drawer of his desk he pulled out an old sheet of parchment with what looked like a map. He held it out for the whole class to see. 

“This.” he finished. 


	9. Grimbeard's Chest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alvin tells the children about Grimbeard the Ghastly's treasure, and suddenly Hiccup doesn't find DADA so fun after all.

A map?

Hiccup turned his head and shared a glance with Fishlegs. Both wondered the same thing;  _ What was so important about this map that it had to be kept in a cursed casket?  _

“Disappointing, isn’t it?” Professor Ogglebert sighed dramatically, “I thought so too, but little did I know that this map - this map - was the key to finding the lost treasure of the one and only Grimbeard the Ghastly!”

Hiccup froze upon hearing this, and many others gasped. Grimbeard the Ghastly was one of the most legendary wizards of all time. Once the king of all wizards, he’d been fierce, strong and unrelenting, but after the death of his traitorous son he’d left their world behind, never to be seen again. Hiccup’s family descended from Grimbeard the Ghastly through the one family member the great wizard hadn’t lost: Chucklehead, Hiccup’s great-grandfather. 

“That’s right, Grimbeard the Ghastly. In fact,” the professor slowly stepped towards Hiccup’s desk, catching his eye, “One of us is descended from him, isn’t that right?” 

Hiccup, stunned, forgot to respond until Fishlegs sharply nudged him. “Oh! Y-yes, sir!” he stammered, “He’s um...my great-great-grandfather.”

“Is that so?” Professor Ogglebert asked, interested, “My, my. You must know more about him than anyone in this room!”

“He kept secrets from them too,” Fishlegs grumbled, “They know as much about him as the rest of us do.”

The raven-haired teacher’s eyes snapped to him in mild annoyance. “Very well, then,” he said, and sauntered back to his desk, “As much as I’m sure Hiccup would love to tell us more, we have a class to get on with. What do any of you know about Grimbeard the Ghastly’s treasure?”

Several hesitant hands went up, all of them belonging to purebloods or half-bloods. Professor Ogglebert’s eyes scanned the room before landing on Valka’s raised hand. He nodded at her. She made a gesture as if to ask ‘me?’ and received affirmation. She cleared her throat and stood up. 

“They say that only the true heir of Grimbeard the Ghastly will be able to find the treasure. Some people say this could mean people in his family are the only ones able, but others say it could refer to anyone strong enough to carry on his name and legacy,” she told them in a confident tone. 

“Very good, Valka!” their professor cried, “You may sit.” 

Hiccup felt his heart sink. Why exactly was Professor Ogglebert so caught up with telling them about this? What was his ulterior motive? He glanced at his professor again. The older man must have noticed, because he caught the boy’s eye and winked. 

“I had a chat with the headmaster recently,” his professional tone returned, “As I am the new head of Defense Against the Dark Arts-” Hiccup hadn’t known this, “-I thought about having a fun little competition. A treasure hunt, if you will,” Many of his classmates perked up in their seats. Hiccup’s heart raced. This wasn’t just any treasure! This was Grimbeard the Ghastly’s treasure which would most likely cause a great divide in the Horrendous Haddock family if found. It wasn’t just something to be used for a ‘fun little treasure hunt’. Hiccup scowled, but the fanatic teacher didn’t notice. 

“Unfortunately, we inspected the map and found that it was located on the Isle of the Scullions. For those who don’t know, that is a very dangerous place, far too dangerous for little children. Headmaster Jorgenson forbade me from taking you on this excursion,” he watched, satisfied, as the excited children visibly deflated, “But he didn’t say anything about encouraging you to do your own research on the subject!”

Hiccup’s breathed a sigh of relief that went unnoticed by everyone except Fishlegs. 

“So today, we are going to learn all about Grimbeard the Ghastly’s infamous treasure. Let’s start from the beginning. In the beginning, Grimbeard the Ghastly was a fearsome wizard…”

For the rest of the lesson, Professor Ogglebert told the tale of Grimbeard the Ghastly. What he told them wasn’t news to anyone but the muggleborn children, so Hiccup tuned him out with ease and decided to doodle in his exercise book instead.

* * *

 

After about twenty minutes - which felt more like twenty hours to Hiccup - the lesson ended. He piled his books into his bag and was out of the classroom within minutes. He hadn’t remembered being this bored at a Defense Against the Dark Arts class before and hoped it wouldn’t be a recurring thing. Fishlegs followed him as he swerved past groups of students, some of which were annoyingly clustered around doorways, chatting. 

When they got to their common room, Hiccup sank down on the soft cushions stuffed in a corner and was joined by Fishlegs, who was looking at him strangely for some reason.

“What is it?” Hiccup asked, “Do I have something on my face?”

“No,” Fishlegs shook his head, “It’s just...Are you okay?”

“Fine. Why?”

“The treasure’s important to your family, right?” Fishlegs asked tentatively, “I mean... You must be feeling threatened, if not a little worried.”

Hiccup looked down.  _ Did _ he feel threatened? He had to admit, his warm feelings towards Astrid and the other children had somewhat cooled when seeing the way they were so excited to go find the treasure. 

“I suppose I am a little...scared,” he said quietly. Fishlegs seemed satisfied with this answer. 

“I thought you’d be,” he took off his glasses and rubbed at them, “You know, you can tell me when anything’s bothering you. I’m not gonna judge. I am your only friend, after all.” he joked.

The corner of Hiccup’s mouth twisted into a smile. “Oh, shut up.”

They laid in companionable silence for a moment, surrounded by the white noise of the other children. 

“It goes both ways,” Hiccup said suddenly, “You can tell me anything, too. You will, won’t you?”

When Fishlegs smiled, it didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the chapters are getting so short! I have to admit, I forgot about this fic for a few weeks.


End file.
